


When The Party's Over

by C1ashi1dr



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Cuddling, F/F, Fluff, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:29:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24953824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C1ashi1dr/pseuds/C1ashi1dr
Summary: Delphine leaves the art opening soon after Cosima takes her exit.
Relationships: Delphine Cormier & Sarah Manning, Delphine Cormier/Cosima Niehaus, Felix Dawkins & Delphine Cormier
Comments: 3
Kudos: 60





	1. Pièces Invisibles

**Author's Note:**

> Want to give a quick thanks to the person who kick started this idea in my head. I probably wouldn't have gotten started on this if you hadn't given me the push you did.

Delphine leaves the art opening soon after Cosima takes her exit. There’s not much of a reason to linger for more than a few moments to arrange logistics about the painting with Felix. They speak quickly, Felix probably able to sense her need to leave. It's been so long, things are at the edge of ending and Delphine doesn't want to waste any time she could spend with Cosima. 

"What you've made here is wonderful, Felix," she says to him before she leaves, gripping one of his hands. It feels good to smile as openly as she is. "All of this for Sarah and Cosima and the others. She wasn't lying when she said you were one of our best."

"Of course, dear," Felix says. "Don't be a stranger when you've sorted everything out. I feel like you and I could get along despite everything that's happened." And he flashes her a grin before turning to address someone trying to get his attention. Delphine smiles a bit, makes a mental promise to reach out to Felix when things finally ended.

Her talk with Sarah is brief, loaded with questions she cannot answer. It burns at the base of her chest, guilt and annoyance that she’s forced over and over to defend her actions. Taking a bullet had not been enough, bringing Cosima back alive, sneaking around at the behest of Siobhan, none of it seems enough for Sarah. She tries not to feel as bitter as she is (her promise to love them all equally lingers at the back of her mind, taunting her) and her farewell with Sarah is short.

“You and S are up to somethin’, I know it,” Sarah says, words that same as they always are. “Why can’t you just tell me, Delphine?”

“Because that is not what Siobhan wants me to do,” Delphine says. “You have to start trusting us, Sarah, we only have the well being of the clones and the rest of humanity on our minds.”

“I can’t trust you if you won’t bloody tell me what’s going on!” And she looks about ready to explode when Felix swoops in, grips her arm, and leads her away into the crowd. Delphine watches as they navigate through the sea of people, lingering for only a moment. 

Then she's gone, moving out the way that Cosima had gone, tugging her phone free from her pocket to make sure there aren't any updates from Siobhan. Nothing so far, though that could change at a moment's notice. With Sarah as volatile as she is, Delphine wonders if Siobhan won’t try to speed everything up. She sighs slightly and enters the chilly evening air, bumping the door open with her hip. There's a fresh smell to the air, and she's about to call out for Cosima, or even dial her number, when a hand rests gently on her elbow. Even through the fabric it is warm and Delphine smiles slightly.

"Time to get out of here, don't you think?" Cosima's voice brushes against her ear and Delphine nods slightly. "I already called a cab, so we just need to wait out here for a second."

"I spoke with Felix," Delphine says to fill the gaping silence. Things are still awkward, it's like walking on eggshells sometimes. It's getting better, steadily, they're falling into a routine of trust and honest answers where they can be given. "About the painting. He said that he'll be able to drop it off next week when the exhibit closes. He wants to make sure it makes the rounds with some art critics in town or something similar."

"Awesome," Cosima says, her tone a bit distant. She looks at Delphine when the other woman's hand comes to rest on her shoulder in silent concern. "Maybe then we'll have an apartment lined up. Nothing against the comic shop but I think it's time we try and find an actual place to stay." 

"What about the other Ledas?" Delphine asks, ever thinking of the future. There's so many questions to ask, so many things to consider. An apartment in Toronto is the furthest thing from her mind. "I know we have not made any official plans or really even spoken about it but-"

"Cab's here." Cosima cuts her off and there's a stab of hurt in her chest. Delphine nods silently as the car pulls up, let's Cosima link their hands and tug her into the car with a barely stifled giggle. "Sorry for cutting you off," comes the slightly hoarse whisper in her ear. "We'll talk about it at home, okay?"

And to think that the basement of a comic book shop could ever be home for Delphine, that the underground apartment was anything more than a hiding place while they gathered their forces, is strange but it sits right in her chest. It’s almost as if there is a spot for the thought there. She knows now that home is wherever Cosima is, however cliche it may be. 

"That sounds good," Delphine murmurs in reply, even as Cosima rattles off the address of a house near the comic book shop. From what Delphine had been told, there were a series of protocols that Siobhan had set in place so the clones would be safe. They have to give the wrong address to anyone in case there were any Neolutionists who were out for one or more of the clones, however unfortunate that reality is. Cosima often joked that it was like being a spy only Rabbit Hole Comics didn’t have super secret gadgets, a fact that seems to make her slightly annoyed.

The cab ride is fairly short (they probably could have walked if they had felt so inclined) but Cosima takes every opportunity to run her thumb over the ridges of Delphine’s knuckles, a gentle smile never leaving her face. It is a look full of fondness, love, and something else that Delphine can’t put a name to quite yet. There is something unspoken between the two of them but if Cosima is bothered by the silence she doesn't show it. 

"Oh, this is our stop." It's Cosima who breaks the silence, breaks eye contact first, leaning forward in her seat to catch the attention of the driver. There's a brief flutter of panic in Delphine's chest that is only abated when the man turns around with a bright grin on his face. She wonders briefly if that feeling will ever go away or if she is doomed to look over her shoulder for the rest of her life.

"Alright, ladies," He says, as Delphine is slipping out the door, gripping Cosima's hand a little tighter than what may be necessary. "Have a good evening!" And once Cosima is out of the car he's driving away, leaving them alone on the sidewalk.


	2. Gaps Between Lovers Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Delphine and Cosima finally get to talk

They link arms almost immediately, strolling along under the streetlights of Toronto. Delphine wishes, briefly, that they could see the stars. Stargazer had definitely been on her list of things to do for most of her life. Lille had not provided a lot of opportunities, even at boarding school, and Paris had held the same problems. Maybe she could take Cosima stargazing one day, in the outskirts of town. 

"You're thinking," Cosima says, tone light-hearted. It's good to hear and Delphine savors it for a moment before turning her attention to the clone, who’s close to her side, presumably for some warmth. "Wanna tell me about what or are you just gonna keep it up in that head of yours?"

"I was only thinking about the stars." As if prompted, Cosima tipped her head up, squinting into the darkness, face pinched in concentration. "Perhaps we could go stargazing one day soon. When the danger has passed." Cosima looks back at her then, nodding already.

"Sounds awesome-oh! Here, let me get the key." She fishes around in her jacket for a moment before pulling out a key and letting them in. The comic book shop is dark, the only light coming from under the door to the basement and the outside lights. They weave through stacks of board games, around a table that's covered with the remains of a Rune Wars Game (Cosima tips over one of the figurines and rearranges a few things with a snicker and Delphine can't bring herself to scold her for the childish behavior) until finally they reach the door and are headed down to the lab and apartment. The door creaks shut behind them and the warmth of the lab washes over Delphine enough that she shrugs out of her jacket. Cosima follows suit soon after, throwing it over one of the few chairs positioned about the room.

They collapse on the bed together, Cosima is still chuckling from her little adventure and Delphine doesn't have the heart to tell her that it wasn't that funny. She’s staring at the ceiling, her hand over her chest and Delphine just watches her because there’s so little else to do. Eventually though, Cosima turns over and looks at her, eyes full of an emotion Delphine can't name immediately.

"So what were you gonna say earlier?" Cosima asks. "Before Felix cut you off. About what you wanna do?"

"We need to cure the LEDAs," Delphine says automatically because how could she not? "Scott is already getting-"

"Not about that,' Cosima says, cutting her off gently, hand coming up to cradle her face. "When we're free of all of the clone shit, when we can finally live our own lives. What do you want to do then?" 

And it's a loaded question because Delphine isn't sure. This has been such a large burden on her life for the past year that she can't think of anything that isn't involved with clones. But Cosima is looking at her with so much adoration that she can't help but feel inclined to answer truthfully.

"I want to be with you." And yes, her voice is small and it shakes slightly and she's certain tears are blossoming in the corners of her eyes, but she can’t bring herself to care as the words start to pour from her mouth. "I want to go on long walks with you in the park. I want to be able to sit at home and watch stupid movies. I want to take you to see France and the place where I grew up.” 

“Then let’s go,” Cosima says almost immediately. “Show me around your hometown. Take me to your favorite restaurants, your favorite stores, anything.” Her eyes are a bit glossy, her thumb coming up to brush against Delphine’s face. They’re so close to each other, foreheads almost touching and it’s so intimate and so familiar. “I want to know you, Delphine.” 

And Delphine bites back the retort that waits at the tip of her tongue, the " _ You do know me" _ because Cosima really doesn’t. There’s been little time between the clone fiasco to know who she is and there’s a sting in her heart at the thought. 

“And when you do whatever Siobhan is planning, we can go. I’m sure there are clones in France that need the cure. We can take a day or two to explore.” Delphine’s face must betray the disappointment at only a few days being allotted to it because Cosima continues without missing a beat. “And once we’ve distributed the cure, we can go back and spend some more time there.” She grins then, mischievous. “Then I can take you to my hometown. You’ll love San Francisco.” 

“I am excited to see it,” Delphine murmurs. She brushes her hand over Cosima’s dreads, content to rest in the moment. “You can restart your degree. Once we are finished.”

“Ugh,” Cosima grunts, eyes flitting to the top of the bed where they’re curled up. “That’ll be awful, trying to get back into it after everything that’s happened. Still, maybe I could use diving back into science that doesn’t have my life resting on it.” She frowns when Delphine does. “Too soon?”

“No, no,” Delphine says. “I just want what is best for you and maybe finishing your degree is not what you want to do.”

“Of course it is,” Cosima says, grinning, tongue poking out between her canines. “But I also want to spend as much time as I can with you. There’s a lot we need to work through.“ Her tone shifts to something more solemn and Delphine searches her face for a moment as Cosima’s eyes wander around the room. “I’m sorry for all the shit that happened a few months ago. Maybe we can work through that and try again?” She looks hopeful.

“I’d really like that,” Delphine says, and she’s about to continue when her phone buzzes somewhere on the table. “I believe that our cue.”

“Our cue?” Cosima asks, following her as she sits up to grab it. She scans the text from Siobhan and nods.

“Let me get my laptop,  _ cherie, _ ” Delphine says. “Wait here.”

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: [@joanwolfe](https://joanwolfe.tumblr.com/)
> 
> stay safe and sane everyone,
> 
> ~~jo


End file.
